I know preparing to fly with a pet can be stressful and you have a lot of questions. The benefits and popularity of frameless soft sided pet carriers is their pliability and ability to conform to varying under seat configurations of modern aircraft. All airlines and rail actually have similar sizing requirements, and those are more stringent on narrow bodied aircraft than wide bodied aircraft, but yet the primary design of an airline capable bag is to comfortably fit your pet but yet conform to fit under the 8.5" seat. Many airlines will indeed show 8.5” as their height spec, but that is targeted for the older style hard shell, fixed height pet carriers and not pliable, frameless soft sided models. A carrier that is truly only 8.5” in height will only fit the smallest of small pets such as kittens, puppies and baby bunnies. Also be aware that airlines state your pet must be able to stand and turn around, so you can see the dichotomy between airline specs and reality. There is a very fine balance that must be met for pet comfort and airline compliance. Keep in mind, airline capable carriers are designed for your pet to be laying down, as most pets will need to do so to allow for fitting under the seat. A partial crouch is more typical than fully standing. Most airline capable bags are designed at about 18x11x11” (45x28x28cm) exterior measurement, as that is the optimal size for under seat capability on the widest variety of aircraft. All are designed with pet safety and comfort as a priority, and secondly with pliable fabrics that allow compression for under seat compatibility, so it’s mostly a choice of styling preference with each model. Most of the standard sized models are about 16" on the interior length, while the larger models are about a 20” interior. For those who desire and must have a bag that is truly 9” in height to meet under seat specs I can recommend to look at the Rhodium Mini model and the backpack models such as the Monterey, Vancouver and Aspen, all of which are designed and padded to lay on their short side for under seat use. Another option is the smaller Gold Series Mini, which is about an inch smaller all around than the standard sized models.
It is important to point out that there is a substantial design difference between a frameless soft sided airline capable pet carrier and a standard carrier. Keep in mind the priority for an airline capable carrier is the ability and pliability necessary to accomplish under seat requirements, which by definition means that an airline capable carrier is purposely not designed with the same firm structure as a non airline capable pet carrier. What gives a soft sided carrier much of its structure is the fabric used and the zippers themselves along with a thin wire frame.
The reality of airlines (and the TSA or equivalents) is there is no such thing as a blanket approval of a pet carrier model or brand, as there are many other factors involved, but there are indeed guidelines and standards which must be followed for in cabin compliance. I work with representatives of the major airline carriers in the design of my bags, including most domestic airlines, and at this point over the years my various bags have been used on virtually every airline around the world. While all airlines can vary a bit due to differing aircraft models, all have the same requirements of under forward seat compatibility combined with pet comfort. The TSA requirement that all airline crew must follow is that the foot space must be cleared for takeoffs and landings, and this applies to purses, bags, and yes, pet carriers. Under seat spacing and configurations can vary between regional, national and international routes as differing aircraft (wide bodied vs narrow bodied) are used, but the pliability and ability to conform to various seat configurations is what sets the frameless soft sided carrier apart from other types of framed or hard shell carriers and has led to their popularity.
Here is a bit of a tip for those of you extremely nervous about the carrier size and airlines specs, and there are many, as I get questions every day. It is very true there is some contrast between airline specs that basically oppose each other such as carrier heights and the ability to fully stand, and there is even confusion among airline personnel and gate agents at times with little consistency. It is very true there are cases where it comes down to the mood of the gate agent. What many of my frequent pet flyers do is they bring a secondary, smaller, “cheapie” carrier to have just in case, as that provides them peace of mind and it is a small price to pay for that.
Also of note, traveling is a lot of stress for all of us, and very much so for our pets. Do consider to bring plenty of treats and toys to occupy your pets mind and take away some anxiety. Pee pads, either disposable or washable are very helpful inside the carrier to keep everyone dry. It is also very common to use either reputable over the counter calming aids or to get an anti anxiety prescription from your vet.
In short, all of my airline capable carriers you see on the site are regularly used on domestic and international airlines, and all are compliant with under seat requirements, but the reality is that there can always be an aircraft or route of a particular nature that uses a smaller aircraft without typical under seat clearance, but I have rarely come across that with reviews and feedback from literally thousands of users over many years. It is always advised to proactively check with your airline of choice well prior to departure. Keep in mind many airlines have an in-cabin pet limitation per flight, so you will want to reserve your space early on in your planning.
I also recommend do check out the Instagram feed @mrpeanutspetcarriers as there are many user contributions which help show off sizing and uses with many types of pets.
Also, do check out the FAQ where I have put together common questions here
- https://mrpeanutspetcarriers.com/pages/faq
Regards,
Michael @ Mr. Peanut’s Pet Carriers